The maintenance and servicing, in particular repair, of gas turbines, in particular of aircraft engines, have a decisive role in determining the direct operating costs of an airplane. Thus, approximately 30% of the direct operating costs of an airplane is attributable to the aircraft engines, approximately one-third of the operating costs relating to the engines being due to the maintenance of the aircraft engines. The maintenance costs of aircraft engines are therefore responsible for approximately 10% of the total direct operating costs of an airplane. The direct consequence of this is that efficient and cost-effective maintenance and servicing/repair of aircraft engines is of decisive importance for airlines. Similar reasoning also applies to stationary gas turbines.
To date, maintenance and servicing of gas turbines, in particular of aircraft engines, have been performed according to the workshop principle. According to the workshop principle, at least portions of the gas turbine or aircraft engine remain in one position, i.e., in one location. Necessary work materials, tools, and personnel are brought to the gas turbine in a timely manner, so that disturbances are kept to a minimum, and a promised maintenance time is able to be observed.
However, the maintenance or servicing of gas turbines, in particular of aircraft engines, according to the workshop principle has the disadvantage that maintenance does not follow a defined process structure. Instead, work on gas turbines, i.e., on the aircraft engine, is performed in almost any desired sequence, which results in disturbances and delays during servicing, in particular when a plurality of gas turbines is serviced simultaneously. Therefore, maintenance of gas turbines according to the workshop principle has the disadvantage that not only is there no clear process structure, but also long times are needed for servicing and maintenance. This has a negative effect on maintenance efficiency.
Efficient displacement is also desirable in the manufacture of new gas turbines.